Peter Visclosky: “Today, we pause to reflect upon and memorialize the 79th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Between the years of 1915…”

“Today, we pause to reflect upon and memorialize the 79th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Between the years of 1915 and 1923, the Ottoman empire embarked upon a mission to erase from the earth the Armenian race, resulting in the deaths of 1.5 million men, women and children, and the exile of a nation from its historic homeland. The human tragedy of this endeavor is chilling. By the end of 1923, virtually the entire Armenian population of Anatolia and western Armenia had been either killed or deported. This unspeakable catastrophe, which befell the Armenian people in the dawn of this century, has left a lasting mark on those who survived--they will never forget, nor should we. It is important to remember this horrible fact of history to comfort the survivors, as well as remain vigilant to prevent future calamities. Only a fraction of the Armenian population escaped this calculated attempt to destroy them and their culture. Approximately 500,000 Armenian refugees fled north across the Russian border, south into Arab countries, or to Europe and the United States. Currently, it is estimated that fewer than 80,000 declared Armenians remain in present-day Turkey. The Armenian genocide is a well-documented fact. The U.S. National Archives contain numerous reports detailing the process by which the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire was systematically decimated.”